This application relates to a retractor/stabilizer that can be used to displace, retract and/or stabilize excessive and/or redundant tissue (such as adipose tissue, breast tissue, panniculus tissue, etc.) to facilitate access to target sites and/or to facilitate noted medical procedures.
In 2009 the CDC reported that 36.2% of all surgical patients present to the operating room with a BMI (Body Mass Index) over 30. People with a BMI over 30 are considered to be obese, and will commonly have a panniculus (or layer/apron of fat which hangs from the abdomen). Depending on how obese the individual is, the panniculus (or adipose layer or fatty layer) can extend to the pubic hair line (in smaller panniculi) or to the knees and beyond (in very large panniculi). This situation has been arising more frequently in recent years due to people being morbidly obese. Many of these individuals accumulate a large mass of adipose (fatty tissue) in the lower abdominal area producing a panniculus (apron of fat) that hangs, depending on its size, over the groin, genital area and upper thighs.
Patients with such large BMIs require the clinical staff to manage excessive amounts of adipose (or fatty tissue), skin and other tissues (i.e., the panniculus). Currently, those traditional methods are suboptimal. An example of one sub-optimal method is to use silk tape, straps, or athletic tape to retract the panniculus in an opposing or cephalad direction, therefore removing the tissue from the surgical site. Typically, these silk straps or athletic tape are connected or adhered to the operating room table. However, when the panniculus is retracted in this manner, the weight of the panniculus bears down on the patient's diaphragm, making it difficult for anesthesiologists to administer anesthetics and to control the patient's breathing during surgery. The use of adhesive tape results in a lack of sterility in the operating room. Furthermore, the straps or tape may not provide enough friction to hold the apron of fat out of the way and may also not conform to the shape of the panniculus. Additionally, use of the tape can be noisy, and thus disruptive. Also, the nurses' and doctors' gloves can get stuck to the adhesive of the tape while they work to retract the panniculus.
Another method of retracting the panniculus is for two nurses to use a sheet as a sling to pull the abdominal panniculus up and away from the affected area while a third healthcare worker provides care. This can be uncomfortable for the patient and puts two nurses at risk of injury.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device to retain the excessive and/or redundant tissue of a patient that holds the excessive and/or redundant tissue out of the way. It is further desirable to provide a device to reposition excessive and/or redundant tissue that is sterile in the surgical field. It is still further desirable to provide a device that is faster to apply, to reposition and hold excessive and/or redundant tissue out of the way. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a tissue retraction device and method that meets at least one of these desires.